Bite mark helps experts determine this shark species bit woman on popular New York beach
According to New York State Parks, a 20-year-old woman was in waist-deep surf at the Central Mall beachfront of the park on June 25 when she was bitten by an unknown toothy sea creature. The swimmer told officials she did not see what caused her injuries.
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JONES BEACH ISLAND, N.Y. – Experts have narrowed down the shark species likely responsible for biting a woman at New York’s Jones Beach State Park last week, leading to a temporary beach closure.
According to New York State Parks, a 20-year-old woman was in waist-deep surf at the Central Mall beachfront of the park on June 25 when she was bitten by an unknown toothy sea creature. The swimmer told officials she did not see what caused her injuries.
Jones Beach State Lifeguards and Emergency Medical staff arrived, and the swimmer had a cut to her left foot and leg. She was transported to Nassau County University Medical Center Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
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Jones Beach State Park was closed to swimmers for the rest of the day, and swimming resumed on June 26, according to a news release.
FILE IMAGE: Low angle underwater view of Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) swimming over a sandy bottom in the Atlantic Ocean at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas. Bahamas.
( Dave Fleetham/Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group / Getty Images)
A few days after the bite, New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) officials worked with marine experts to determine which wildlife species might have caused the injuries.
"DEC biologists reviewed situational information provided by subjects at the scene, as well as photos of the injury, and were able to rule out several species. However, without direct observation of the animal that caused the bites, a full expert consensus was not reached. DEC concludes this incident most likely involved a juvenile sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus)," New York State Park officials said.
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As the summer is underway, park police and lifeguards continue to proactively patrol for sharks by drone and other resources.
Experts say as the water warms up in the Atlantic Ocean, sharks begin to migrate north up the eastern U.S. coast seeking cooler water.